Immanuel Kant (1724-1804) created Kantian ethics and eventually became the father of ethics. Kantian ethics at its most basic form is the idea that "good will" is the mandatory for an action to be considered morally good. An example of this idea is if I let someone have a cookie but once I give them that cookie I expect something in return eventually. Instead of just giving them a cookie to eat. Kantian ethics also points out the idea that we as humans are defined by rationality and autonomy. We should never use people to get what we need without thinking about what would happen to them.
Utilitarianism is the counterpart to Kantian ethics and it is advocated by Jeremy Bentham and John Stuart Mill. Utilitarianism in its most basic form is the idea that a good action is something that should create more pleasure/happiness then pain. An example of this is if you can foresee the future and in that future their is a tyrannical leader who tortures and kills thousands of people and because you see this future you decide to kill that person before he hurts anybody. The only two pleasures we as humans can feel are intellectual and bodily but it is forbidden to put your happiness above someone else's.
In my own opinion I believe Utilitarianism makes more sense and is the better idea of the two. We as people are always after what is best for us bodily and intellectually and we shouldn't put our happiness over someone else's.
acts with good will leads to happiness
happiness leads to a good life
acts with good will lead to a good life
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